Ok, now I have a question. Does the LHS carry extensions for the balancing tap? I don't want to put my charger in the Lipo bag while I'm charging. I am NOT going to charge my batteries without balancing them. I have an 1800 3s that I have had for three years. I balance my batteries 100% of the time. I monitor my batteries 100% of the time. I watch very closely the difference between the cells using the balancing side of my charger. If I see a cell that is way off between the others I know this pack is on its last legs. I have had packs go bad without puffing. It got warm when charging. A good balanced pack doesn't get warm at all. I am NOT by no means an expert on LiPo's. I have just used common sense to charge my batteries. I have been charging batteries since the early 80's when I used to race a 1/12 Associated pan car in So. California when R/C car racing first started in temporary parking lots on Sundays. We have come a long way since are old 15 minute chargers under the hoods of our family cars.

Ok, now I have a question. Does the LHS carry extensions for the balancing tap? I don't want to put my charger in the Lipo bag while I'm charging. I am NOT going to charge my batteries without balancing them. I have an 1800 3s that I have had for three years. I balance my batteries 100% of the time. I monitor my batteries 100% of the time. I watch very closely the difference between the cells using the balancing side of my charger. If I see a cell that is way off between the others I know this pack is on its last legs. I have had packs go bad without puffing. It got warm when charging. A good balanced pack doesn't get warm at all. I am NOT by no means an expert on LiPo's. I have just used common sense to charge my batteries. I have been charging batteries since the early 80's when I used to race a 1/12 Associated pan car in So. California when R/C car racing first started in temporary parking lots on Sundays. We have come a long way since are old 15 minute chargers under the hoods of our family cars.

Dyanmite has started selling some balance tap extensions. They have been very difficult to get- backordered for ever but seem to be coming into stock now. Dynamite is a Horizon Hobby brand so they should be available at most hobby shops.
Patric

We are moving into a new home soon and I'm thinking of setting up shop in the basement insted of a non attached garage that I use now. I want to use a non working mini fridge to store and charge my lipo batterys in (inside the home) Any thoughts? I also have a fire proof file cabinet I may use but would be hard to drill into. I'd like to have a vent system for the "just incase" by drilling a 2" hole in the fridge vented outside with a smoke detector and temp probe mounted inside the unit. I want to be as safe as possible and always be neer while chargeing. Has anyone done this and if so I would like some feed back! thanks

If I put all my lipos in one fireproof container, would a potential lipo fire from one lipo spread to the others as well? Thanks!

Let's first consider a pack by itself. From the videos I've seen, sometimes one burning lipo cell will ignite the one adjacent to it and sometimes it doesn't. As I recall from the tests with several packs in a box, the adjacent ones did not catch fire. This may be dependent on how close the packs are together and the size of the packs.

Conclusion - Maybe, maybe not, so plan on it happening if they are stacked right next to one another.

My opinion only.....

FWIW, I store them in a metal container at storage voltages in a heap.

We are moving into a new home soon and I'm thinking of setting up shop in the basement insted of a non attached garage that I use now. I want to use a non working mini fridge to store and charge my lipo batterys in (inside the home) Any thoughts? I also have a fire proof file cabinet I may use but would be hard to drill into. I'd like to have a vent system for the "just incase" by drilling a 2" hole in the fridge vented outside with a smoke detector and temp probe mounted inside the unit. I want to be as safe as possible and always be neer while chargeing. Has anyone done this and if so I would like some feed back! thanks

Sounds good - If it were mine I'd add a latch to the fridge to keep the pressure from popping the door open. Better yet would be to use a working fridge and store them at 45F.

I wouldn't drill any holes. My LiPos live in an ammunition box, and I leave the seal shut just to keep the solvent fumes inside.
Note, I'm stating what I would do (and actually do). I'm not giving advice you should do it.

I wouldn't drill any holes. My LiPos live in an ammunition box, and I leave the seal shut just to keep the solvent fumes inside.
Note, I'm stating what I would do (and actually do). I'm not giving advice you should do it.

I thought that having them in a sealed container makes them a bomb since they gasses can't escape. I know they don't need oxygen to burn.

I thought that having them in a sealed container makes them a bomb since they gasses can't escape. I know they don't need oxygen to burn.

"I know they don't need oxygen to burn" is partially true.

During thermal runaway, the LiCoO4 breaks down and releases O2 which is sufficient to fuel the thermal runaway reaction. This reaction generates a lot of heat which vaporizes the organic electrolytes in the cell (the white smoke). There is not enough O2 from the LiCoO4 decomposition to cause this to burn. If air is available, these materials will also burn.

They dont need oxygen to burn? The oxygen is coming from somewhere... the surrounding air or chemically produced... fire needs oxygen.

gravityKills >> I thought that having them in a sealed container makes them a bomb

Unless the sealed container is strong enough to withstand the pressure produced by the reaction...

just my 2 cents...

I think the "sealed container" idea would depend on volume and strength of the container, and number and size of the batts. Put twenty 2200 batts stacked tightly in a small weaker container and a bomb may be in the making. Putting one 500 batt in a frig would never blow the door open.
IMHO
BD

Thanks for the input. I have decided to use a mini fridge with a hasp to keep the door closed. (good idea Hoppy) I will vent the box and figure out a pressure relief valve so no bomb condition exists, but if something does I don't spew toxic smoke inside my home. Perhaps a sring loaded door that I can manually open on the top of the box.

The basement will stay at a cool temp 55-65 degrees anyway and don't want to tempt myslef into putting beer in there while not being used to charge LiPos. It would be a waste of engery in my mind to keep it on. I replace all lipos every 3 years and my 4.8V receiver packs every 2 years (cheep insurance)

It may be a few months till I get it done, I will post pix then. You can never be too safe. I haven't even made my first morgage payment yet and would be a shame to, well you know...